Toilet seat structure



July 14, 1970 JQM. DOWNES 3,520,005

TOILET SEAT SERUCTURE Filed Dec. 14, 1967 I2 Q INVENTOR JOHN MALCOLM DOWNES United States Patent 3,520,005 TOILET SEAT STRUCTURE John Malcolm Downes, 315-C Comelia St., Plattsburg, N.Y. 12901 Filed Dec. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 690,481 Int. Cl. A47k 13/02 US. Cl. 4234 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Toilet seat structure comprising a one-piece generally annular seat having a top surface elevated at the front thereof and a complementarily configured lid for abutting the seat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to toilet seats and the relationship between seats and lids therefor.

It is known in the prior art to provide toilet seat structure in which the front edge of the seat may be elevated with respect to the remainder thereof, as shown in US. Pats. 807,305; 975,678; 2,099,118; 2,241,967 and 2,598,577. One of the many difficulties of the prior art structures of this type lies in the multitude of movable parts which are subject to malfunction and which may embarrass the user. Another difficulty of these prior art devices is that they are insusceptible of use with a lid which, when in the down position, presents the configuration of a conventional toilet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Toilet seat structure comprising a one-piece generally annular seat having an opening therethrough and a top surface providing a rear generally horizontal segment, a front generally horizontal segment elevated above the rear segment and an inclined intermediate segment bridging the front and rear segments. The seat is preferably provided with a lid having a lower surface complementarily configured to the upper surface of the seat to abut the front, rear and inclined segments thereof.

It is an object of the invention to provide a toilet seat having a front segment elevated above a rear segment with an inclined intermediate segment bridging the front and rear segments.

Another object of the invention is to provide a generally annular one-piece toilet seat of the configuration described which may be made of any suitable material, such as wood, plastic, aluminum or other suitable material.

A still further object of the invention is to provide toilet seat structure having a one-piece generally annular seat provided with a top surface having a front portion elevated above a rear portion and a lid complementarily configured to abut the front and rear portions of the seat.

Other objects, advantages, and important features of this invention will be apparent from a study of the specification following, taken with the drawing, which together describe, disclose, illustrate and show a preferred embodiment of the invention and what is now considered and believed to be the best mode of practicing the principles thereof. Still other embodiments, modifications, procedures or equivalents may be apparent to those having the benefit of the teachings herein and such other embodiments, modifications, procedures or equivalents are intended to be reserved especially as they fall within the scope and breadth of the subjoined claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the toilet seat structure of the invention illustrated with the lid down;

3,520,005 Patented July 14, 1970 FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the toilet seat structure of the invention illustrated with the lid up;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 taken substantially along line 3--3 thereof as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 2 taken substantially along line 44 thereof as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 5 is another transverse cross-sectional view of the toilet seat structure taken substantially along line 55 of FIG. 3 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Attention is directed to FIG. 1 of the drawing wherein a toilet arrangement 10 is illustrated as comprising a bowl 12, a water tank 14 and a toilet seat structure 16. Although not illustrated it is apparent that suitable flow control devices are associated with the Water tank 14 and the bowl 12 to control water flow in a suitable manner. The toilet seat structure 16 has as major components a seat 18, a lid 20 and mounting means 22 for interconnecting the bowl 12, the seat 18 and the lid 20.

The seat 18 comprises a one-piece generally annular body 24 which may be made of any suitable material, such as wood, plastic, aluminum or the like. The body 24 provides a bottom surface 26 which is adapted to be supported by the bowl 12 either by the use of spacing grommets (not shown) or directly thereon as illustrated in FIGS. 3-5. The top surface of the seat 18 comprises a rear generally horizontal segment 28, a front generally horizontal segment 30 elevated above the rear segment 28 and an inclined intermediate segment 32 bridging the distance between the front segment 30 and the rear segment 28.

The seat 18 provides an opening 34 therethrough which is defined, in part, by a generally vertical wall 36 adjacent the intermediate segment 32 and the junction of the intermediate segment 32 with the front segment 30. The opening 34 is further defined by an inwardly downwardly sloping wall 38 adjacent the front of the seat 30 and another inwardly downwardly sloping wall 40 adjacent the rear of the seat 18.

The outer periphery of the seat 18 is defined, in part, by an outwardly downwardly sloping wall 42 adjacent the intermediate segment 32 and the junction of the intermediate segment 32 with the front segment 30. The outer periphery of the seat 18 is further defined by a generally vertical wall 44 adjacent the front of the seat 18 and a wall 46 at the rear thereof of any suitable configuration.

The purpose of the elevated front segment 30 of the seat 18 is to compel the user to assume the squatting position assumed by our primeval ancestors. Since mans elimination track evolved long before the development of the conventional toilet, it will be readily apparent that the seat which compels a squatting position is preferable. The purpose of the outwardly downwardly sloping walls 42 is to effect spreading of the glutei during squatting.

The lid 20 may also be made of any suitable material such as wood, laminated Wood, plastic, aluminum or the like and comprises an upper surface 48 and a lower surface 50. The upper surface is illustrated as planar while the lower surface 50 is complementarily configured with respect to the upper surface of the seat 18 to abut or juxtapose the front, rear and inclined segments 30, 28, 32 thereof. In other words, the lower surface 50 of the lid 20 comprises a rear segment 52, a front segment 54 elevated above the rear segment 52 and an inclined intermediate segment 56 of generally the same surface configuration as the corresponding segment of the seat 18.

The mounting mechanism 22 may be of any suitable type and is illustrated as comprising a pair of spaced connections 58 with the toilet bowl 12 each of which carries a hinge pin 60. Mounted on the hinge pin 60 is a pair of arms 62 affixed in any suitable manner to the lid 20. Similar arms 64 are mounted on the hinge pins 60 and are secured to the seat 18 as shown best in FIGS. 3 and 4.

While the invention has been described and disclosed in terms of an embodiment which it has assumed in practice, the scope of the invention should not be deemed to be limited by the precise embodiment herein shown, illustrated, described and disclosed, and it is to be understood that such other embodiments are intended to be reserved, especially as they fall within the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim:

1. Toilet seat structure comprising a one piece generally annular seat having an opening therethrough and comprising a bottom surface for support by a toilet bowl; 2. top surface having a rear generally horizontal segment; a front generally horizontal segment elevated above the rear segment; and an inclined segment bridging the front and rear segments; the inner periphery of the annular seat adjacent the intermediate segment being defined by a generally upstanding wall; the outer margin of the annular seat adjacent the intermediate segment being defined by an outwardly downwardly sloping Wall terminating adjacent the outer periphery of the annular seat.

2. The toilet seat structure of claim 1 further comprising a lid having an upper surface and a lower surface complementarily configured to the upper surface of the seat to abut the front, rear and inclined segments thereof; and

means mounting the lid for movement from a position overlying and abutting the seat to another position.

3. The toilet seat structure of claim 1 wherein the inner periphery of the annular seat adjacent the front thereof is defined by an inwardly downwardly sloping wall; and

the outer periphery of the annular seat adjacent the front thereof is defined by a generally vertical Wall.

4. The toilet seat structure of claim 3 wherein the junction between the inclined intermediate segment and the front segment comprises a smooth upwardly convex surface; and

a front generally horizontal surface elevated above the rear segment; and an inclined intermediate segment bridging the front and rear segments; the inner periphery of the annular seat adjacent the intermediate segment being defined by a generally vertical wall; and the outer periphery of the annular seat adjacent the intermediate segment being defined by an outwardly downwardly sloping wall. 6. The toilet seat structure of claim 5 wherein the junction between the inclined intermediate segment and the front segment comprises a smooth upwardly convex surface; and the junction between the inclined intermediate segment and the rear segment comprises a smooth upwardly concave segment. 7. The toilet seat structure of claim 6 further comprising a lid having an upper surface and a lower surface complementarily configured to the upper surface of the seat to juxtapose the front, inclined and rear segments thereof; and means mounting the lid for movement from a position overlying and juxtaposing the seat to another position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 554,501 2/1896 Taft 4237 1,575,912 3/1926 Grant 4-234 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,271,660 8/1961 France.

SAMUEL ROTHBERG, Primary Examiner H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner 

